


I Fall Into You

by Darkangel4066



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Assistant Curator Rey, Autumn, Cats, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kitty Sweaters, Knitting, Light Angst, Magic, Museums, New England, Salem, Shapeshifting, Small Business Owner Ben, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26957143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkangel4066/pseuds/Darkangel4066
Summary: Rey makes sweaters for the neighborhood strays. When she meets Ben Solo, he seems familiar and...wait...is that one of her sweaters in his pocket.Based on a prompt byMissBinx.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 40
Kudos: 109





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MissBinx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissBinx/gifts).



> Beta by [LadyRhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRhi/pseuds/LadyRhi).
> 
> I don't think the rating will change on this one and I'm planning on around 5 chapters. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Leia gazed happily at her newest acquisition. The old, faded pages of the book detailed how to spot a witch in one’s midst. The  _ Malleus Maleficarum _ , or  _ Hammer of Witches _ was a rare treasure and she had been lucky to find a benefactor willing to loan it to her. 

Poe Dameron had been more than willing to let her borrow the latest piece in his historical collection, and she would be eternally grateful. It was being held in a climate-controlled, locked glass case under dim lighting to protect it, since the pages were extremely delicate. 

Turning, Leia left the Special Collections room for her meeting with Poe, thinking that she couldn’t wait to show the very special tome to her assistant, Rey. 

*

Rey loved the fall. The smells and colors never ceased to amaze her, making her nostalgic for times past, and filling her with wonder year after year. This fall was no exception. 

She lived in a tiny New England town outside historic Salem, Massachusetts, but worked in the city as a curator and occasional tour guide for the Salem Witch Museum. Her boss, Leia Organa was a descendant of someone who had witnessed the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. 

Taking a sip of her iced pumpkin spice latte, she went back to knitting the tiny sweater in her hands. It seemed silly, but she knitted them for the stray cats in the neighborhood, especially a chubby black one who always insisted on sitting in her lap while she worked. 

He was the friendliest of the bunch, and she was contemplating taking him in. The only reason she hadn’t was that he disappeared whenever he left her lap, staying only long enough to be outfitted with a sweater—which always seemed to be conspicuously missing when he returned—and to sit with her on her porch for a spell. 

Breathing deeply, Rey took in the smell of decaying leaves and woodsmoke. She took another sip of creamy spice, stretching out her legs in front of her, and admiring her shiny leather fashion boots. It was truly the most wonderful time of the year. 

*

Ben Solo, owner of the Sanctuary Book & Coffee Shop, rolled his neck and ran a hand through his hair, trying to conceal his frustration. His mother was calling.  _ Again _ . It was the worst possible moment, given he was right in the middle of ringing up a customer’s transaction. 

Separated as he was from his parents, they  _ still _ managed to interrupt him at the worst times. For all the annoying disruptions in his day, he loved his parents dearly and got along well with them. They simply had the worst timing. No matter when he told them he would be available, they  _ always  _ called when he was right in the middle of something. 

Managing to hold it together, he finished with the customer and sighed as he took out his cell to call his mother back. 

“Mom? What did you need?” he asked, keeping his voice as even as he could. 

“Oh, I just wanted to talk to you,” she replied, sounding not at all like she was telling the truth. 

“Mom...” Ben said in warning. 

“Okay, fine. I have someone I would like you to meet,” she admitted, determination in her voice. 

“Mom, we’ve been through this. Is this your assistant you’re trying to set me up with again?”

“She doesn’t know it, but she’s going to  _ love  _ you,” Leia said firmly on the other end. “And you’re going to love her,” she added. 

Ben sighed, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips in frustration. 

“All right, fine. I’ll meet her, but only if she wants to meet me of her own free will,” he allowed. 

His mother let out a delighted squeak on the other end of the line, and he felt himself cringe instinctively. 

He was going to regret this; he was sure of it. 

*

Rey jumped a little when her cell rang, startling the chubby black cat sitting in her lap. Stroking his soft fur in apology, she answered the phone, surprised that her boss would be calling so late. 

It wasn’t that it was late per se, but the museum had been closed for an hour now so that they could set up their new acquisition in a safe place for display. As far as she knew, Leia had no plans to reopen today. 

“Hello?” Leia said. 

“Hi, Leia. What can I do for you?” Rey chirped cheerily into the phone, quietly soothing the cat as he shifted in sudden agitation. 

“I just got off the phone with my son. How would you feel about meeting him for coffee? I was supposed to go, but I can’t get away from here and his shop is very near your house.” Leia told her, rushing a little like she was uncomfortable about something. 

“You can’t get away?” she questioned, incredulous. 

“No,” Leia said firmly, her voice turning cheerful again, “and it’s too late to cancel. He’s probably already waiting for me.” 

Rey sighed, placing the very annoyed cat in a makeshift bed on her porch so she could stand. “All right, where am I meeting him?” 

She knew this was a set-up, but there was no way around it. Rey was glad that her boss liked her so much, but she wished that she would warn her before she got any crazy ideas—particularly of the romantic variety. 

Of course, she’d never  _ seen  _ Leia’s son, but she imagined he would be handsome like his father. Han had stopped by the museum once to surprise his wife, and she’d liked the silver-haired scoundrel with the outrageous wink immediately.

Shaking her head free of thoughts of what Ben might look like, Rey brushed some black fur off her lap and went inside to grab her purse. Stepping back out into the pretty afternoon sunshine, she decided to walk into town to the Sanctuary Book and Coffee Shop, where Leia had told her she could find her mystery date. 

The crisp air added a spring to her step as she strode along the tree-lined streets. Oddly, she didn’t feel at all like she was going to her doom, as she did for most blind dates. Rather, she found she was looking forward to meeting her boss’s son, whom she’d heard so much about. 

Taking a deep breath, she smiled to herself.  _ At least there will be pumpkin spice lattes.  _

*

The phone rang again when Ben was getting ready to close up. Glancing at the display, he groaned. It was his mother  _ again _ . 

This time, he preemptively asked, “Mother, what did you do?” 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Leia said innocently. “Anyway, I gave Rey a call and invited her to go over to meet you. Please, try to at least put on a happy face for her?” 

“All right,” he grumbled, hanging up on her. 

Deciding to at least offer her coffee, he started making her a pumpkin spice latte because he thought he remembered his mother mentioning that her assistant really loved the fall and enjoyed that particular flavor around this time of year. Having no clear idea of how many assistants his mother had in the first place, he hoped he was thinking of the right one. 

The bell rang as the door to his shop opened, letting in the crisp October air. Glancing up from the coffee, Ben froze. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen stood just inside the door looking around with interest. 

When her gaze finally found him, Ben felt himself flush at being caught staring. 

He cleared his throat. “You’re one of the assistant curators at the museum?” he asked, feeling as though he were speaking in slow motion. 

“Yes. Hi!” She drifted over to him and offered her hand. “I’m Rey.” 

“Ben,” he responded, taking her hand. 

“You’re mother asked me to meet with you on her behalf? Do you know what this is about? She didn’t say,” Rey trailed off as a look of horror dawned on Ben’s face. 

“She said...nevermind. I think we’ve been set up,” he admitted, suddenly wishing he served something a little stronger than coffee. 

“Set up?” she questioned, seeming to grow a little nervous, probably at the look of mortification he could feel growing in his eyes, but taking the cup he offered her absently. 

“Yes, Mom’s been after me to meet you,” Ben said, watching her lift the cup to her lips. 

Rey was a lovely creature, and he was sure that she had no trouble getting dates on her own. The last thing she needed was his mother interfering in her life. 

“Hmmm, pumpkin spice latte. How’d you know?” Rey hummed in pleasure at the taste of the coffee. 

“I remember my mother saying that one of her assistant curators loved them,” he replied softly, feeling suddenly like a shy schoolboy. 

“Thank you.” Rey reached out, placing her hand on his forearm. 

“Would you like to sit down?” Ben asked quietly. He wanted nothing more than for her to stay just a little while longer, even if this was all just one of his mother’s matchmaking schemes that could never work out between someone like him and ...  _ her _ . 

“Yes,” she said, smiling. “I’d like that.” 

Ben escorted her to one of the small cafe tables and pulled one of the chairs out for her. He tried very hard not to be too obvious about the deep breath he took as her hair passed just beneath his nose as she sat. That sweet scent of hers was always just too enticing to resist, however.

“What do you do, Ben?” Rey asked curiously when he sank down across from her. 

“I own this shop,” he replied, gesturing around him. “I have a few employees, but mostly I take care of day-to-day business myself.” 

“Oh, I see,” Rey said, impressed. “It’s a lovely shop. If you were going for cozy, you nailed it.” 

Ben grinned. “Thanks.” 

Rey stayed until she finished her coffee, then rose. Ben reluctantly followed suit, moving around the little table to help her into her coat. 

“Thank you for this. I really enjoyed meeting you.” Rey felt a little reluctant to leave but it was time to feed the strays and she had sweaters to finish. 

“Yeah, me too,” Ben replied, trying not to stare at her while he slipped into his own coat. 

Rey happened to glance down at that moment, unable to resist subtly checking him out when she noticed that he had something in his pocket that was exactly the same color as the yarn she had used last week to make some kitty sweaters. 

Seeing she’d spotted it, he quickly tried to tuck the maybe-sweater back into his pocket. “Sorry about that. My … my cat comes home wearing these cute little sweaters. Sometimes it seems like he has a new one every day. I have no idea who makes them,” he said, sheepishly taking it out to show her. 

Rey flushed. “Umm. May I ask what your cat looks like?” 

“Oh, he’s an adorable black cat. He’s a little chubby, though, and I’m trying to put him on a diet,” Ben replied as if he hadn’t noticed the pink staining her cheeks. 

He was trying to keep from blushing himself, fighting the heat rising to his ears. Ben hated that he couldn’t share his secret, but if she found out she wouldn’t understand. He was afraid she would run away and never return. 

He loved going to her house, and enjoyed watching her knit those little sweaters. Ben even loved wearing them, though they were terrible to remove. Cats didn’t have thumbs, after all. Most of all, though, he loved being able to sit in her lap and keep her company. 

He had almost given himself away when he saw her come through the door of his shop. It had been difficult not to shift at that moment, if only to assume a form that might be pleasing to her. 

“Well, I’d better be going,” Rey squeaked, still blushing. 

“I hope I can see you again,” Ben dared to remark, trying to project calm. 

She was obviously embarrassed about the sweaters and he didn’t want her to be. He wanted her to come nearer so he could smell her warm scent—vanilla and freshly fallen leaves. She smelled like fall and summer combined. 

Ben sighed, closing his eyes, remembering the feel of her hands scratching behind his ears, trying to let the phantom sensation ease his tension. 

“I’d like that,” she finally said, smiling shyly up at him. 

Ben smiled happily in response, hardly believing she’d agreed. “Bye,” he said. 

He followed Rey to the door and watched as she trotted down the street toward her home. She was so beautiful—way out of his league—but for a moment he had thought she had almost seemed attracted to him. 

He could only hope.

*

Rey walked slowly down the street, distracted by thoughts of thick, wavy black hair and dark eyes. Ben had seemed so familiar somehow, but she couldn’t put a finger on why. 

Was it the way he moved, like a cat on the prowl? Or was it just a feeling based on the fact that he had one of her sweaters? 

One thing was certain —he hadn’t been entirely truthful about the cat. He hadn’t been able to look her in the eye when he had talked about it, which was a dead giveaway he was holding something back. 

Rey hoped nothing had happened to it, but wouldn’t he have told her that his cat was sick or hurt if so? She tried to tell herself that he would have, but anxiously quickened her steps anyway, assuming a brisk pace. 

When she reached her door, she went inside to grab her knitting things and then sat out on the porch to wait. The cat usually came about this time in the evening, and she hoped she hadn’t missed him. 

Chubbs was her favorite. 

Continuing to knit for another 10 minutes or so, she looked up at the sound of a familiar meow of greeting. Rey smiled at the chubby black cat and called him over. “Hey there, kitty. Where’ve you been?” 

The cat jumped up the steps to sit next to her legs, and she reached down to stroke him fondly.

The cat just gazed up at her with those unusual dark eyes—so strange to see in a cat. They were almost human. 

“Come here,” she cooed, trying to coax him into her lap. 

He jumped up willingly and Rey scratched behind his adorably large ears. 

“I made this for you yesterday, though I know who you belong to now. Your owner seems to be so sweet, though. Between you and me, I hope I get to see him again. He was definitely a feast to look at,” she admitted, slipping the tiny sweater on the blissfully purring cat. He shook his head after she pulled it on and scratched his ear with his little back paw, settling contentedly back down on her lap for a while longer. 

  
  
  


Some time later, Rey glanced at her watch. “Oh! You’d better get back home! Ben will be worried about you!” She lifted the cat off of her lap and placed him on the ground, ignoring his objections. 

“Go on, little one. I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m sure,” she said affectionately. 

The black cat simply shook himself off and trotted away into the bushes as though he had understood every word she had said. 

“There’s something strange about that cat…” she mused. 

Shrugging, Rey turned and went inside to enjoy a glass of mulled wine.

*

Ben felt guilty as he trotted back home. He really should tell her, but why would she believe him? She’d write him off as a lunatic and run away screaming, which was the exact opposite of what he wanted. 

The sweater pulled a little as he walked, hitching up when he placed one paw carefully in front of the other. This one was a lovely shade of ruby red, he noticed with pleasure. 

Rey really was a talented knitter, he thought happily. The air had grown cold while he had been visiting with her and the sweater was an added layer of warmth. A cat’s fur didn’t keep out  _ all  _ the cold, after all. 

Trotting up the brick steps to his house, Ben slipped in through the cat door that he had installed not too long after he had moved in. Useful thing, that. Now, he could go wherever he wanted in cat form rather than having to stay cooped up in the house when he transformed. Best of all, everyone thought he  _ owned _ a chubby, black cat—not that he actually  _ was _ a chubby, black cat. 

It was working perfectly. Twice a year, he carried an empty carrier out of the house to give the impression that he was taking his cat to the vet. He brought the carrier back after around an hour to help the illusion along. 

Ben sniffed the air for any sign that he wasn’t alone before hurrying up the stairs to his bedroom. It wouldn’t do to have any interruptions. 

Now came the tricky part...getting out of the sweater. Naturally, he could just shift and allow the sweater to tear, but it was such a warm, cute thing. Most importantly,  _ she _ had made it, so it was special and he didn’t want to destroy it. 

Hooking the edge of his rocking chair under the hem around his neck, he pulled backward until the sweater popped over his head. After a little more shimmying and careful tugging, the sweater slipped over his head and he stepped out of it. 

The shifting process was fast and surprisingly painless since he was using magic willfully, and not having it forced upon him as a werewolf does. 

The unfortunate side effect of being a shifter is that your clothes do  _ not _ shift with you. So once the process was over, Ben stood naked in his room for a moment, getting his bearings. Senses evening out, he wandered over to the bathroom for a shower, pausing to pick up the little red sweater and place it safely on the dresser with a fond pat. 

As the water ran over him, he went through scenarios over and over in his mind where he told Rey about his secret and she was accepting. Thinking of those warm hazel eyes and that sweet smile, he realized he wanted nothing more. 

But people were rarely accepting of those who were different. 

_ Rey _ .  _ Rey might be different. No, Rey  _ **_is_ ** _ different,  _ he thought firmly, running his fingers through his silky, black hair as he rinsed the shampoo out. Maybe someday he could tell her. But not today. 

First, he needed to get to know her better—as himself. He needed her to know  _ him _ better as Ben, the person, and not the cat. 

_ Someday. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Rey hoped to be able to do some research of her own, but she found herself distracted not only by her new gentleman caller, but his mother. Leia was too happy not to be up to something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so happy to finally have time to post this chapter! I really hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> but first...
> 
> Thank you to [LadyRhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRhi/pseuds/LadyRhi) for beta'ing this for me! 
> 
> and now...I give you...chapter 2:

Ben stirred, slowly awakening from a dream-filled sleep. His dreams were always interesting, almost prophetic. It was one of the gifts that came with knowledge of the magical world...along with hairballs and a thing for catnip, unfortunately. One moment, he would be dreaming nonsense, and in the next, something deeply meaningful. So, he paid close attention, and kept a dream journal to help him remember them. 

This morning, he was recording a dream featuring the beautiful Rey that had seemed  _ very _ real, and yet he wasn’t sure whether it was just his mind conjuring up images to match his waking desires, or it was something that the future actually held in store. 

Attempting to shake the dream off, Ben accidentally shifted to cat form. Irritated, he crawled out of his now too-big clothes. He hopped to the floor and stretched, sitting calmly to wait for the moment when he could shift back. It usually took awhile for him to calm down and relax enough. He shook his head, scratching his velvety, black ear, and Ben huffed inwardly—he hadn’t shifted by accident in a long time. The dream about Rey must have hit harder than he’d thought. 

_Now, what do I do about it?_ _I know, I can try to catch her at work! Mother always wants me to visit the museum and this is the purrrfect opportunity...wait a minute….did I just purr?_ _  
  
_

Now, he was sure he had it bad. He’d only managed a purr when  _ she _ was around him. Perplexed, he glared at his dream journal, splayed face-down on the floor. At this rate, he’d be trapped in cat form for a while. 

_ Oh well _ , Ben thought.  _ Only one thing for it. _

Trotting lightly down the staircase and slipping out through the cat door, he padded his way behind the house, setting his paws toward Rey’s. Maybe she had something nice for breakfast—that canned stuff wasn’t half bad. 

Rey’s house was a large Victorian, set back from the street with a large wrap-around porch and a bay window. Pausing just outside, his chubby, black feline-self stepped onto the leaf-covered lawn and moseyed up to the porch stairs. Climbing them, he sat to wait. 

“Oh! You’re here early!” Rey exclaimed as she opened the door only a few minutes later. 

Ben just licked a paw before blinking up at her. 

“Are you hungry, little guy? Or did Ben feed you already?” she asked, fondly. 

“Meow,” he replied earnestly. 

“I thought you’d say that,” Rey laughed, turning to go back inside. 

She returned carrying a small, red cat dish decorated with little paintings of hearts and fish. It held a helping of some heavenly— _ to a cat _ —smelling shredded chicken cat food. 

Ben’s mouth watered. Struggling not to drool, he attempted to wait patiently while she closed her front door and took a seat in the wicker rocker, and placed the dish on the painted wood of the porch. He was barely able to keep himself from tapping his little forepaw in a very human show of impatience, and as soon as she pulled her hand away he fell on the offering of food ravenously. 

“Slow down,” Rey chuckled, stroking his back. 

Ben attempted to follow her advice, but shifting always made him so  _ hungry _ . He finished his helping in no time, and rubbed against her legs, purring in thanks. Her presence was soothing. 

This had been a good idea. He already felt himself relaxing and, if this kept up, he’d be back to being human in no time. 

She petted him for a little while longer, stroking his back and scratching behind his ears, before standing. 

“Well, little guy. I have to go to work now, but you be good and go home, okay?” she admonished. 

He fought not to nod in agreement, covering the awkward reaction by glancing at the movement of the leaves in the wind. Then he yawned and stretched, turned, and trotted off, leaving Rey laughing softly behind him. 

He couldn’t wait to see her at the museum. In human form...hopefully. 

*

Rey watched the little kitty sashay away with a wide smile on her face. Picking up the empty dish, she took it inside and grabbed her keys, pausing to check her hair and makeup in the mirror before stepping out to the garage. 

The drive was not terrible, the traffic fairly light for the time of day. It gave her time to think and to enjoy the beauty of the fall colors. She stopped at a local coffee shop for a pumpkin spice latte when she reached Salem, and then parked outside the museum. 

Her morning routine was always the same, and she always arrived at work precisely five minutes before she was due to start her shift. This morning was no different than any other, or so she thought until she looked down at her watch. The chubby, black cat had distracted her for long enough that she’d arrived barely a minute before she was due to start work, throwing her a little off-kilter. 

_ It’s a good thing I’m not an hourly employee _ , she thought in consternation, hurrying up to the door and pulling it open. 

“Oh, there you are! Are you okay?” Leia floated gracefully over to her. 

_ How does she do that? _ Rey wondered enviously, not for the first time. 

“I’m fine, just running a little late,” Rey replied, setting her things down inside the small office. “I got distracted by your son’s cat.”

Leia nearly dropped her favorite coffee mug. 

“Oh? Ben...Ben’s cat?” she asked, her voice suddenly a little high pitched.

“Yes,” Rey studied the older woman, afraid she was ill. “Are you ok?” 

“Me? I’m fine,” Leia squeaked at first, but then drew a deep breath. “I’m fine,” she repeated more convincingly. 

“Anyway, he’s the cutest little kitty. I’ve been making sweaters for all the cats, but he’s my favorite and they fit him so well, so I have a whole pile of them ready just for him,” Rey rambled on. 

Leia ducked her head and tried to restrain her laughter.  _ So she’s met my son’s  _ **_cat_ ** _?  _

“What’s the cat’s name, anyway? I was too embarrassed about the sweaters to ask when we had coffee,” Rey admitted, oblivious to the older woman’s amusement. 

“His name?” Leia grinned, brimming with mirth. “We just call him  _ Ben. _ ” 

“He named his cat after  _ himself _ ?” Rey cocked a brow incredulously. “ _ That  _ seems a little egotistical.” 

“Oh, just you wait,” Leia laughed under her breath. 

“What was that?” Rey asked curiously, not certain she’d heard correctly. 

“Nothing. The cat is just so much like him that the name stuck,” Leia shrugged, covering for her earlier comment. 

She was still smiling when she left Rey to start her day in the little office. 

*

Ben straightened his sweater and drew a deep breath before pulling the door to the museum open, stepping inside. 

“Here to see your mother?” the doorman greeted him, recognizing Ben immediately.

“Yes. Is she in the back?” Ben peered around the room. 

“She is, indeed. Go on in.” The other man waved him inside. 

“Thanks, Mark,” Ben said gratefully as he headed through the room toward the rear offices. 

Leia glanced up when the door opened and grinned broadly. “Hi! What brings  _ you _ here today? You didn’t need to be at the shop?” 

“Nah, today I had plenty of help,” Ben replied, gesturing dismissively as if waving away a fly. 

“So, you just came to see your dear mother?” Leia teased knowingly. 

“Uh...yeah,” Ben replied. He’d been so focused on getting to see Rey that he hadn’t considered what excuse he'd give his mother for visiting. He opted for honesty. “I actually came to see Rey,” he owned up sheepishly. 

Leia looked as though she'd just heard something particularly amusing. “I figured,” she said, her rich voice sounding pleased. 

Ben wasn’t sure what to say next, and he felt nothing but relief when his mother continued as if there hadn’t been an awkward pause on his end. 

“She’s having a look at our newest acquisition. It’s through there,” she gestured vaguely in the direction of the exhibit. 

“Thanks,” Ben said, hesitantly heading toward the door that she’d indicated. He didn’t want to seem too eager, but it was hard to keep his steps measured and even when he knew _ she _ was so close by.

As he neared, Ben could see Rey gazing into a glass case holding a book with something like awe. He had to smile. 

The book itself was a rare find, he knew from what his mother had told him about it, and gave the reader legal and religious reasons to condemn witches as heretics, and encouraged their secular prosecution. Ben scoffed at the antiquated superstitions—as if an actual witch would allow themself to be caught. 

Still, the  _ Malleus Maleficarum 1519 _ was an interesting piece of history that was used to justify the witch trials in Salem between February 1692 and May of 1693. He knew his mother had been thrilled to learn of its acquisition and loan to the museum. 

Rey was gazing at the book with a wrapt expression, the corners of her mouth curved into a slight smile. Ben approached slowly, not wanting to startle her while she was so absorbed in her thoughts. 

“Interesting, isn’t it?” Ben commented softly, the smile still playing at the corners of his mouth. 

Rey jumped a little, eyes shooting up in surprise at his sudden appearance. “Yes…” she managed, then trailed off. 

“It’s hard to believe such a little thing justified so much trouble, isn’t it?” he asked, turning to study the ivory cover through the glass. 

Rey’s gaze focused on him for a moment, searching his face for signs that he was teasing. He was entirely serious, however. 

“It is,” she replied, still watching him. “You came to see this?” She indicated the book questioningly. 

“I came to see you, but the book is a bonus,” Ben teased, keeping his eyes carefully on the exhibit. 

He noticed her shiver at his words and fought back a grin.

Rey cleared her throat, turning back to the book. “You came to see me? Why?” 

Now he did grin. “You made quite the impression,” he said, nodding. 

“And the book?” Rey’s voice rose a little. 

“It’s...a book. I’ve seen plenty of them before,” Ben said, almost laughing. 

It wasn’t a lie. He  _ did  _ own a bookshop, after all, and he  _ had _ seen all sorts of tomes in his travels, including a copy of this exact book. 

Rey blushed, her eyes going wide. “Of course,” she breathed, letting out a breathy laugh. 

“I’ve seen a copy of the  _ Malleus _ before in Germany,” he explained, eyes dancing. 

“Oh,” she said smiling slightly. “So you know the history?” 

“I am familiar with it. It was used to justify torture,” he remarked, glancing away from the book to look at her face. 

Rey met his gaze and froze for a moment, trapped. 

Ben released her, glancing around the room at the other exhibits nonchalantly. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by staring at her for too long. 

“You really came to see me?” Rey sounded bewildered, completely forgetting the book she had been so entranced by a moment ago. 

“Is that hard to believe?” Ben asked curiously. Surely, she’d had visitors here before, men who’d found her as enchanting as he did. 

“Ye..er...no...er...I mean, I’ve never really had anyone come to see me at work before,” she explained with a blush. “Or at all,” she added under her breath. 

Ben pretended he hadn’t heard, hiding his shock. “You don’t have any family around here?” 

“No, my family is gone. It’s just me,” she admitted, and Ben could tell that it cost her a lot to say. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” The corners of his mouth drew down into a frown. 

“Oh, it’s okay,” she said easily. “I feel so welcome here that it doesn’t bother me anymore.” 

Ben decided to cut to the chase. “Would you be interested in going out with me?” 

“Like a date?” she blurted, too startled to be coy. 

“Well, we could just hang out as friends, if you prefer.” He didn’t want to push, as much as it pained him to offer her an out. 

“No...I— I‘d like to go out with you,” she stammered determinedly. 

“Great,” Ben said smoothly, gently brushing her hair away from her eyes. “I’ll see you Saturday night. I’ll pick you up at seven.” 

He turned and strode from the room, leaving her stunned and staring after him. 

*

Rey gazed after him, open-mouthed. 

_Wait...How does he know where I live?_ _And...why does he seem so familiar?_ _It’s his eyes—where have I seen those eyes? They’re so strange, like a tiger’s eyes._

Shaking her head, she staggered a few steps. Who knew a few-minutes’ delay would lead to such an interesting day? Regaining her balance, she strode back toward the office, lost in thought. 

*

Leia watched her son’s retreating back with interest. He was playing quite the game right now, taking all sorts of risks where his magic was concerned. 

_ Was it really wise to visit Rey as a cat, too? _ Leia didn’t think so, but Ben had clearly been seeing Rey for a while in his other form. 

She chuckled to herself. This whole situation could prove to be very entertaining. Ben was either setting himself up for the love of the century, or risking exposing his gifts. Either way, she would support him. The magic ran strong in her family, and it wasn’t Ben’s fault that he had been born gifted. 

Rey was very beautiful, and kind, and Leia did not doubt that she would keep the family’s secrets if need be—regardless of the outcome of Ben’s amorous pursuit. 

After surreptitiously watching their little exchange by the new exhibit, Leia was certain that her son had a chance. Rey’s body had canted toward him ever so slightly, giving the impression that she wanted to be physically closer to him. 

Ben had been so focused that Leia had been worried he would lose control and shift in front of Rey, or that something else unexplainable and strange might happen. 

Many times during his childhood, Ben had wished for rain or snow and it  _ had _ rained or snowed...but only around their house. Leia laughed, glancing around to see if anyone had heard her.  _ That  _ had taken some extra work to get the neighbors to think it was all an illusion. 

Leia smiled to herself, her son had only found out that Rey was the assistant she’d been wanting him to meet yesterday, and he was already showing up at the museum to work on wooing her. 

_ Couldn’t have worked out better if I had planned it, _ she thought, grinning. 

*

“What are you smiling about?” Rey asked as she came into the office. 

“Me? Nothing, I was just thinking of how lovely it was that Ben decided to visit today,” Leia quickly replied, subtly fishing for a reaction. 

“Are you sure? That’s the look you get when something is going your way,” Rey asked suspiciously, not falling for it. “So what is it?” 

“Don’t worry about it. You just keep doing whatever you’re doing and it’ll all work out,” Leia said a little obscurely, her voice kind and gentle. 

Rey raised a delicate brow, then turned toward her desk and sat down to finish cataloging some new materials they had received. These would be provided as resources in the museum library for use by those doing serious research. 

  
Rey hoped to be able to do some research of her own, but she found herself distracted not only by her new gentleman caller, but his mother. Leia was too happy  _ not  _ to be up to something.


	3. chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey stumbles on some interesting information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to [LadyRhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRhi/pseuds/LadyRhi) for beta-ing this chapter. 
> 
> This chapter mentions a murder, but it's not graphic. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Glancing over at Leia, Rey stood and gathered the materials for the library in her arms. Her boss was busily going over the analysis of one of the pieces on display from the witch trials—something having to do with the Skywalker family. She made a mental note to look it up, vaguely remembering that the Skywalkers had married into an important, older family. 

_ Amidala? _ No, that wasn’t it, but it was related somehow. 

“I’m going to go put these away,” Rey said as she swept past. 

Leia waved her away without looking up, fully engrossed in the object she was studying. 

Rey traveled through the back halls to a set of stone steps that she navigated with care. They were narrow and worn, and it would be easy to fall when she was carrying several heavy tomes in her arms. She reached the top and, breathless, headed toward the library. 

It was a small room, lined with books of every kind on all aspects of witches, witchcraft, and the trials in Salem. Rey paused to take in the smell of old paper and ink, closing her eyes. 

Opening them, she headed toward one of the small tables and began to place the books and papers she had been carrying in their proper places. As she worked, she came across a thick book from the 1960s whose cover was so worn that she couldn’t read the spine. 

She stopped what she was doing and plucked the book from its shelf, opening it to the title page. It was a list of suspected witches in Salem and their genealogy up to modern times. 

Intrigued, she turned the page and noticed that one name—Nabarrie—had been highlighted in yellow by someone. Rey allowed the book to fall open and looked down at the start of the chapter on the Nabarrie family. A neatly folded paper stuck out from the middle of the book. Rey studied it, finding that it appeared fairly recent since it had not yellowed with age as the rest of the pages in the book had. 

She frowned. This said that the Nabarrie woman living in Salem at the time of the trials got away with witchcraft since it couldn’t be proved. No one had been willing to stand and accuse her, as the family had apparently been very influential during the 1600s. 

Curiosity overtook her and Rey unfolded the paper to find a drawn family tree with birth and death dates along with names of members of the family. This was obviously meant to be a supplement to the one offered in the book. Rey looked it over and gasped. 

Nabarrie had been the birth name of Padmé Amidala...Leia’s mother. Rey looked over the document greedily, realizing it was written in Leia’s handwriting. 

Rey had known that the Skywalkers were a family of witches...but this connection was amazing. There was an entire entry on Padmé and her husband, Anakin Skywalker. 

Something had happened while they were on a tour of Europe, she remembered from past study. An article she had read said that Padmé had been killed, and Anakin had returned to Salem a crazed man. His children were taken and raised by family friends to protect them. Leia had been sent to Bail Organa, head of another influential family, and Luke had been entrusted to a self-professed warlock, Obi-Wan Kenobi. 

Pondering this, she glanced up at the clock. It was almost time to leave and she  _ should _ be getting back, but she really wanted to keep exploring for a few more minutes. Maybe there was more on what had happened that had caused Anakin to be driven insane. 

Rey’s eyes traveled along the page and stopped in shock when she saw Ben’s name. Maybe  _ he  _ had some insight on his grandparents. 

She didn’t believe magic actually existed. That would be silly, right? Still, this book was...convincing, and definitely written by a believer. 

“There you are!” Leia’s voice rang through the room. 

Rey jumped and slammed the book closed guiltily. “I’m sorry. Were you looking for me?” 

“I was. I didn’t want to close up if you were still here,” Leia said amicably. “Are you ready to leave?” 

“Yes, I was just reading some interesting materials,” Rey said, cheeks burning. 

“Oh, you should come up here more often. Why don’t you plan on spending some time next week doing research?” 

“Thank you,” Rey said gratefully but she thought she saw the same gleam of amusement in Leia’s eyes that she had this morning when Rey had mentioned her son’s cat. It made her think Leia knew something she didn’t, and she felt like she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. 

Standing, Rey put the book away and followed Leia back down to the office so that they could gather their things and lock up. 

She was lost in thought for the short drive home. The wind had picked up and a chill was in the air. 

_ I hope the cats are ok _ , she thought as she slipped out of her car and hurried up her porch steps to the front door. 

Relieved, she got the door unlocked and shut out the sound of the wind whipping the leaves around. She smiled excitedly at a thought that had suddenly occurred to her—there were going to be  _ loads _ of leaves to rake tomorrow, Rey couldn’t wait! 

*

Rey loved doing yard work, especially in the fall. It was soothing for her. There was just something about it—the smell of the leaves, perhaps—that set her mind at ease. The wind had calmed during the night and the sun was already warming the fall air. 

She put on her favorite knitted sweater, jeans, boots, and a lined, flannel jacket before starting out to her shed to grab her rake. She plugged her headphones into her phone and listened to music as she worked, eventually shedding the jacket. The leaves were in several neat piles by the time lunch rolled around. 

Rey inhaled deeply. This was what she loved, and soon the leaves would be all gone and winter would descend. Looking around, she decided that now would be a good time to stop and rest. Propping the rake against her porch, she went inside and prepared to make herself some tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. 

She was reminded of her discovery of the book and her curiosity over what had happened to Padmé Amidala as she slowly stirred milk into the canned soup mix. Then another thought entered her head. 

_Where are all the cats?_ _Were they hiding from the wind last night?_

She had been hoping to see Chubbs today, since she had made him a lovely purple sweater. Rey glanced at the basket next to her knitting needles. A pile of kitty-sized sweaters crested over the top. 

_ I may have made an entire pile of sweaters for him _ , she thought sheepishly. 

It didn’t take her long to finish her lunch, so she returned to the piles of leaves and proceeded to shove them into bags to be taken away. Rey finished with the chore by five o’clock and went inside to shower and get ready for her date with Ben, muscles aching pleasantly. 

*

_ Boy, am I in trouble _ , the cat thought, tapping his paw impatiently. 

Ben had been in the process of putting on his dinner jacket when he had shifted into cat form...again. This was the third time in as many hours. He knew it was due to nerves, and he was  _ trying _ not to be agitated, but Rey was just so lovely and he was afraid of frightening her away. At this rate, he needed to be very afraid of that possibility because he was likely to shift right in front of her if he couldn’t get himself under control. 

Ben growled, frustrated with himself, the sound of an unhappy cat ominous in the darkening room. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths and...shifted back to human form. 

_ Finally _ . 

Padding over to his clothes, he dressed once again and hurried from the room. Ben was glad that he had chosen to get ready as early as he had. It’d practically taken him all day and he was resigned to the fact that this was not the last time he would be shifting this night. He just hoped that he would be able to hide somewhere when it inevitably happened. 

He straightened his lapels in the mirror, turned, and opened the closet to retrieve his coat. Checking his reflection in the mirror once more, he ran a hand through his hair anxiously and took the few resolute steps to the front door, walking out into the cool evening air. 

*

Dinner was an elegant affair and Rey was transfixed. She’d never been to this upscale steak house before—or any steak house, honestly. She wondered who Ben was that he could get a reservation for such a ritzy place at short notice. 

Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling, casting a warm glow around the room. Candles were lit on each table, adding to the romantic ambiance. 

Rey noticed that the tables were not placed close together as she followed Ben and the hostess to their seats in the rear corner of the restaurant. She smiled as he pulled her chair out for her. 

_ A girl could get used to this treatment, _ she thought happily. 

Glancing across the pristine white tablecloth, Rey caught Ben’s gaze. “This is a lovely place. Do you come here often?” she asked curiously. 

Ben’s shoulders relaxed. “Not often. I reserve this place for special occasions,” he said, smiling slightly. 

Rey bit her lip, fighting a smile. 

_ He must like me a lot. That’s good. I like him too.  _

*

Ben’s anxiety seemed to melt away after her first question. He ceased to worry about changing suddenly in front of her and relaxed, enjoying Rey’s presence. She was so soothing, he realized. Like a balm to his soul. He never wanted to let her go. 

“Do you think we could drop by your place before you take me home?” Rey asked, cutting through his inner revelry. 

“What?” he blurted, startled. 

Rey looked suddenly shy. “I mean, I just want to say hi to kitty Ben since I missed seeing him yesterday evening and this morning.” 

Ben almost fell out of his chair.  _ “Kitty Ben?” _ he exclaimed, mortified at the way his voice squeaked. 

“Yes,” Rey went on, “That’s what your mother said your cat was called.” 

She paused, drawing a breath, and Ben just knew he’d turned a sickly shade of green. 

“Is something the matter? He’s not sick is he?” Rey asked, worried. 

“N-no,” he stuttered. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “It’s just that he hides when he’s home and might not come out.”

“If it’s ok, I’d like to try anyway,” Rey smiled encouragingly. 

Ben almost cursed. He’d barely managed not to turn the second she mentioned  _ kitty Ben _ . He’d almost had a heart attack, thinking she’d somehow guessed. He was going to have to speak with his mother about this. In the meantime, he couldn’t see a way around taking her to see his ‘cat.’ He could only hope that he would manage to refrain from shifting directly in front of her. 

“Very well,” he said with a calm that he didn’t feel. 

Rewarded by Rey’s joyful, triumphant smile, Ben finished paying the bill and stood, walking around to her. He held his hand out to help her rise, and smiled back when she happily took it. 

  
  
  


*

Ben had left his porch light on, as well as a single light in his living room, knowing it would be dark by the time he returned. Rey glanced around as he unlocked the door and allowed her to step across the threshold. 

Insides twisting with nerves, he followed her gaze as she took a look around the room. He’d tidied up earlier that day, just in case he had company. It just hadn’t occurred to him that his company might be  _ Rey _ . 

She turned a brilliant smile toward him. 

“I love how you’ve decorated! I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the primitive style,” she beamed at him and then glanced down at his  _ ‘Welcome Friends’ _ mat on the floor. 

Ben let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding. 

_ Rey likes my mother’s decor. What a relief! I’m not one for minimalism.  _

“Look at these books…these are first editions!” Rey gasped in wonder, carefully lifting the cover of a copy of  _ Pride and Prejudice _ . 

“Yeah, I’m something of a collector,” Ben admitted shyly. “That one’s my favorite. I love the dynamic between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennett.” 

“Oh, yes. Me too!” Rey exclaimed excitedly as she carefully placed the book back on the shelf. 

Ben gave her an easy smile. It felt good to have her here and his nerves were slowly easing. She seemed to have forgotten the cat, thank goodness. 

“May I ask you a personal question?” Rey queried, taking on a more serious demeanor. 

“Sure,” Ben answered. How bad could it be? 

“It’s about your grandmother, Padmé. I found an article in the library, but it was very vague. If you don’t want to share, that’s okay. I mean, I’d ask Leia, but I think it might be upsetting to her to talk about her mother,” Rey babbled wringing her hands nervously. 

“It’s okay. I’ll try to answer,” Ben reassured her. 

“Okay...how did she die?” she asked gently. 

Ben frowned, eyes looking off to a faraway place, and drew a breath.

“My grandfather, Anakin, thought to treat my grandmother to a trip to Europe for their second anniversary. My mother and uncle had been born in the spring and were to be left with my grandmother’s sister. You see, they were still too young to travel.” 

Rey nodded. “Please, continue.” 

“The trip went well! They were so happy together and there was only one week left before they were due to return. I don’t know where in Europe they were when it happened…” 

Ben focused on Rey, gaze intense and, he knew, defiant. 

“They were beset by self-proclaimed witch hunters—my aunt did not say much more than that. According to grandfather, during one of his lucid moments, they pulled her from the car and forced her to jump from a high cliff into rocky waters as punishment for witchcraft…” 

Rey’s eyes widened, then narrowed indignantly. “That’s murder! Did they get caught?” 

“No, no one in the village would turn them in. My grandfather escaped because their attackers believed that only women could be witches,” Ben finished quietly, not looking at her.

“Hey, I understand that this is painful. Thank you for sharing it with me, though.” 

He felt a small, warm hand on his arm, burning through his shirt, and knew...he needed to run.  _ Now.  _


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "“I-I’m…..gointolookupstairs,” Ben stammered, panicking. 
> 
> Turning and bolting, he called out that she should look downstairs for the missing cat. Barely making it to his room, he felt his body blur and….a chubby, black cat wiggled out from beneath the pile of clothes he’d been wearing. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I'd like to send a very special thank you to [LadyRhi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRhi/pseuds/LadyRhi) for the beta. 
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

“I-I’m…..gointolookupstairs,” Ben stammered, panicking. 

Turning and bolting, he called out that she should look downstairs for the missing cat. Barely making it to his room, he felt his body blur and….a chubby, black cat wiggled out from beneath the pile of clothes he’d been wearing. 

Ben-the-cat swiveled his ears attentively, listening to the movements of the woman downstairs. With a sigh, he set one paw in front of the other, heading out of the room.

_ I might not be able to change back right away, so I might as well…no. I’d better stay here.  _

He stopped abruptly, sitting back on his haunches. He would wait it out and hope he changed back before Rey noticed how long her host had been gone. 

*

“Here kitty, kitty,” Rey murmured into the seemingly empty dining room, glancing around at the china cabinet against the wall and the mahogany dining set. 

She could see that the cat wasn’t in  _ this _ room. Flipping on the light, she stepped in the direction of the china cabinet, trailing her fingertips along the smooth, cool wood of the chair backs. Despite the obviously expensive table and chairs, this room didn’t seem at odds with the others she’d explored. 

Rey whistled as she caught sight of the markings on the bottom of the little china cups. 

_ Antique Haviland...where’d he get this stuff? It must have come from someone in his family, _ she thought. 

In fact, Ben had  _ a lot _ of expensive antiques. 

_ He must be a collector… _

Her thoughts trailed off as she turned to flip off the light and...ran straight into someone’s solid chest. Hands steadied Rey as she staggered, thrown slightly off-balance. Her brows raised in surprise as her eyes met the amused whiskey eyes of Ben Solo. 

“Sorry,” she managed to whisper even as she was held in thrall by his magnetic gaze. 

She’d never really paid attention to how  _ big _ he was. He was tall and broad—built like a refrigerator...or a Clydesdale. Realizing that she’d been staring, Rey glanced down at her hands, clutching his sleeves, and reluctantly loosened her grip. 

Blushing, she took a step back. Ben’s hands released her waist slowly as if a spell had been placed on him as well. 

“Sorry,” he finally said hoarsely. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. Did you find him?” 

Rey snapped out of her trance. “No, I didn’t but I  _ did _ find a pile of the sweaters I made in a basket by one of the end tables.” 

Ben turned several shades of red, and Rey tried to hide her smile. 

“You know, we could look again,” Rey suggested. “He has to be here somewhere.” 

“Not necessarily,” Ben started, trailing off. 

At Rey’s confused look, he gestured toward the cat door. “I accidentally left it unlocked.” 

“Still, I’ve been worried about him.” She stepped in closer, reaching out imploringly. “I’d feel better if we found him before you take me home.” 

Rey let her face soften into a pout and...it worked like a charm. 

Ben sighed and gave her a tentative smile. 

“If it will make you feel better, we could look in the house again and then check his usual haunts outside,” he offered, hoping to assuage her anxiety. 

Thrilled, she darted up to him, stood on her tip-toes, and kissed him lightly. 

“Thank you,” she said, smiling brilliantly. “He’s my favorite visitor, you know.” 

Ben didn’t know what to do with this knowledge.  _ I’m her favorite. _ Nevermind that she meant the cat. 

Torn and intensely affected by the lingering feeling of Rey’s lips on his, he felt the familiar pull in his chest. 

_ Uh oh… _

_ Honestly, what is it about her that causes me to lose control so often? I’m being torn apart. I’m a man one minute, a cat the next. What should I do? It would be easier if she knew… _

Abruptly, Ben turned and hurried toward the stairs, leaving a confused Rey standing in the empty dining room. 

She stared after him for a moment, perplexed. 

_ What was that about? I wonder if he’s all right? _

Frowning and deep in thought, she resumed her search of the first floor of Ben’s house, pausing only to look under furniture. 

It was strange.  _ He keeps disappearing, _ she thought.

Rey cast a glance at the staircase leading to the second floor and found she couldn’t look away. Standing slowly, she began to move toward it as if pulled by some unseen force. Reaching out, her hands met the cool wood of the banister, and her fingers wrapped around the rail, seemingly of their own accord. 

Rey thought she could hear Ben searching for the cat somewhere to the right of the landing, and her feet started to carry her up, thinking only of helping him search. 

Stepping onto the landing, she paused. The sounds of movement had stopped. She looked to her left and found a closed door at the end of the hall along with what looked like another shadowy staircase leading up to what she supposed was a third floor or attic. 

There were more promising signs of life when she turned to look in the other direction. A door just down the hall stood wide open. It led to what looked like a guest room decorated in soft blues and greys. 

Rey felt suddenly very tired. 

Turning from the room, she continued down the hall toward a partially open door at the end of the hall. She could see shadows moving beneath the door. 

“Ben? Do you need some help?” Rey called hesitantly, pausing in her approach to give him time to answer her. 

His behavior was puzzling and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. 

When no answer was forthcoming, she brushed the door with her fingertips, gently nudging it open. 

No one was there. 

Ben’s clothes lay in a pile near the bed. But...there was no sign of Ben. 

Frowning, Rey bit her lip. “Ben?” 

“Meow.” A miserable little sound came from behind the door. 

Rey slipped into the room quickly, only to find Chubbs sitting on his haunches, ears slightly flattened. His strange, whisky colored eyes gazed up at her sorrowfully. 

“There you are, naughty kitty. Where have you been?” she chided gently, squatting to scratch behind his ears. 

The cat just gazed up at her mournfully. 

“Where’s your daddy?” she asked, glancing around the room and then back at the cat who flattened his ears and hunched over, flicking his tail. 

“I hope Ben’s not sick,” she said fretfully, but perked up when she felt a light touch at her ankle. Turning her gaze back to the cat, she smiled. Chubbs had been pawing at her leg in an attempt to soothe her. 

_ And people say cats don’t care, _ she thought, pleased. 

“How about we go downstairs to wait for him?” Rey suggested to her feline friend. 

“Ben? I found the cat. I’ll just be downstairs with him,” she called out, then stood and looked down at Chubbs again. “Come on, little one.” 

The cat followed, miserable. 

*

_ What am I going to do? _ Ben thought frantically as he followed Rey down the stairs. He supposed he should be relieved she either hadn’t noticed his clothes in a heap by the bed or hadn’t realized their significance. 

“It looks like Ben decided to change or something. I really hope he’s not sick,” the beautiful woman was murmuring to herself. 

Ben instantly felt bad, but it wasn’t as if he could’ve told her what was going on. How would that conversation even start? 

_ I know this is strange, but I have to run because I’m going to turn into a cat now.  _

_ Oh go ahead, I don’t mind… _

_ Yeah, right, _ the cat scoffed to himself. He’d always been afraid of his secret being revealed and it had caused him to be very careful around the women he dated. He’d never met anyone like Rey, though. 

She was kind, almost to a fault. She’d never mistreated him while he was a cat or as a human, for that matter. 

Ben really wished he could get his transformations under control around her. And he wished that he could just be open with Rey, but he’d learned over the years that it was better to hide in the shadows than to show himself in the light. But, oh...around her, he felt the pull to the light stronger than he had ever felt it before. 

He shifted because of the way she made him feel—at once, anxious and comfortable. 

He briefly considered slipping away from Rey’s watchful gaze to call his mother for a distraction, but he found he was content to sit amongst the cat toys she had brought out of her purse and watch her as she continued throwing anxious glances at the stairs. Ben wondered how long it would be before she figured it out or maybe retraced her steps only to find that her date was nowhere to be found. 

He batted listlessly at a small feathered mouse that smelled faintly of catnip. 

“Oh, you’re worried about him too, poor kitty,” Rey cooed. “I’m sure he’s fine...” 

The last part sounded decidedly uncertain. 

Rey got up off the couch and crouched down to stroke his fur. It only made Ben feel more miserable, though. 

How was she going to react when she found out?

*

“Poor kitty. Aren’t you feeling well?” Rey whispered to the cat. 

He seemed to deflate. 

Rey’s brow furrowed in worry. What if Chubbs...er...Ben needed to go to the vet? She didn’t want to wait much longer. 

_ Cats are very sensitive creatures. I hope the kitty didn’t eat anything he shouldn’t have. I thought I saw a couple of plants in the parlor, and one of them might have been a kind of lily.  _

Turning her eyes to the parlor, she stood and wandered in to examine the plants for signs that the cat had been chewing on them. 

Chubbs just watched her, resigned. 

Rey picked through the leaves of the plants, but could find no signs that the cat had made a snack of them. Rey was relieved, though there was still the chance the poor kitty had eaten a few leaves, so she stood and went back into the room where she’d left him. 

He was sitting patiently, head tilted inquisitively up at her. 

She studied him carefully and started toward the stairs, suddenly growing a little angry. 

_ It’s irresponsible of him to keep poisonous plants around a cat! _

The very cat in question followed anxiously at her heels, wondering what she was going to do. 

“Ben?” Rey called out, growing irritated. 

The cat shuddered and froze. 

_ Oh no!  _

Rey nearly tripped as the cat zoomed up the stairs and around the corner, heading toward the bedroom as fast as his legs could carry him. 

“Well,” Rey chuckled, her irritation derailed for a moment. 

Walking the last few steps to the bedroom, she was surprised to find the door partially closed and no sign of the cat. 

“Rey, can you give me a minute?” Ben called out miserably, making her jump in surprise. 

“Where have you been? I found the cat. Are you all right?” she said in a rush. “You should have told me you wanted to change your clothes.” 

Ben slipped out from behind the door wearing jeans and a black boatneck sweater.

“I’m sorry, Rey,” Ben said, frowning. “I think I’m getting sick or something.” 

Rey studied him. His posture was drooping and he was slightly flushed as if from a fever. 

“Let me take you home now,” he suggested, letting his exhaustion become apparent. 

“Okay,” Rey said quietly, frowning in concern.

Neither spoke as they both slipped back down the stairs and into the SUV.

*

Ben was so very tired. All he really wanted to do is sleep and sleep, he did. He passed out on Rey’s wrap-around porch -- right after he saw her to her front door, his car still idling in the driveway.

*

When Rey found Ben collapsed on her porch a few minutes later, she panicked. There was no way she could lift him, so she turned off the ignition in his car and locked it up as she bolted for the steps. Pulling out her phone, she called the first number that came to mind—Leia. 

“Leia? It’s your son and he’s so...big and I’m not sure what to do…” Rey babbled incoherently. 

“Slow down, dear. What’s going on?” Leia asked calmly. 

“It’s Ben. He passed out on my porch and I don’t know what to do,” Rey whispered, lost. 

Leia made a muffled sound and Rey frowned in confusion...it had sounded suspiciously like she was holding back laughter.

“Leia?” Rey questioned.

“Han and I will be right over,” she said warmly, sounding completely unconcerned that her son was unconscious on her employee’s porch. “Get him a blanket for now.” 

Hanging up, Rey brought out her largest, heaviest blanket and draped it over Ben’s fevered form. She knelt beside him and gently brushed his hair back from his face. 

She barely noticed when Leia gently helped her up as Han and another large, rather shaggy-looking man lifted Ben. He awakened a little, murmuring exhaustedly as he leaned heavily on his father and the shaggy man. 

“Rey…” Ben said groggily. 

“I’m here,” she responded immediately, then turned to look at his mother. “Should he go to the hospital?” 

“He’ll be fine,” Leia said softly. “Han and Chewie will take him home.” 

“But...he can’t be alone in his state!” Rey objected. 

Leia seemed to think about the situation. “You’re right,” she announced, sounding a little bit dismayed. “It turns out, Han and I are taking the  _ Falcon _ down to Florida tomorrow.” 

“Florida?” Rey responded in a small voice. “Come to think of it, I  _ do _ remember you saying something about that.” 

“What should we do, Han? We can postpone our trip for a few days, I suppose,” she said slowly to her husband. 

“Oh, don’t do that,” Rey interrupted brightly. “Why don’t you leave him with me? I can stay at his house and take care of him and the cat until you get back.” 

“Why, dear! What a lovely idea!” Leia gushed. “You can take the next few days off too. It  _ is _ an emergency, after all.” 

“Chewie, Han, let’s get him into the car,” Leia ordered the two men. 

“Yes, your worship,” Han said, exasperated. 

“Hmm...maybe we should keep him here? He can stay in my guest room. You can just bring his things and drop them off for when he comes ‘round,” Rey suggested as she watched the men struggle to help Ben into the car without hurting him.

“What a wonderful idea! I can call his usual cat sitter to watch... _ Ben _ ,” Leia exclaimed, sounding way too happy about the situation. 

Rey looked at her boss warily. “What are you up to?” she asked, suspiciously. 

“Me? Oh, nothing dear. I’m just happy that Ben is in good hands,” Leia replied breezily. 

Rey narrowed her eyes, but said nothing and went about directing Han and Chewie to the guest room while Leia ran to pack him a bag and take care of the cat. There was something fishy about this, but Rey couldn’t quite figure out what it was. 

She leaned in the doorway of the guest room after her other three guests had left and watched her sleeping charge. He was lying, curled on his side, his breathing deep and even. A light sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. Rey was pretty sure he was still fevered even though she had given him some medicine. Again, she considered getting him up and taking him to the hospital, but he was showing no other signs of illness—just a fever and a little exhaustion. 

Leia had said Ben would be good as new within a couple of days. She seemed to think this was all just due to stress.

_ He did appear awfully stressed out right before he got sick… _

She turned to go, but stopped when she heard a breathy voice call out to her.

*

“Wait...stay,” Ben murmured. He had fought his way to wakefulness. All of the stress of changing repeatedly had caused him to get sick, but he knew it would pass after a good rest. 

First, he needed to make sure Rey understood what she might see. 

“Rey,” he croaked. 

“Shh, it’s okay. Get some rest and we can talk in the morning,” she said gently. She stepped over to the bed and stroked his hair as she spoke. 

“No, you don’t understand...the cat,” he tried again desperately. 

“Will be fine. Your mother said she would contact your regular cat sitter,” Rey soothed, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

Ben shivered a little at her continued touch, eyes widening. 

“Oh, no,” he said.

“What’s wr…” Rey started.

Ben felt himself begin the change, his physical form blurring with the magic as it flowed through him. Helpless to prevent what was happening, he let it. It was always best not to fight it and he didn’t really have the strength to try this time anyway. 

He was enveloped in blackness, struggling to find a way out as he heard Rey calling out to him fearfully. He flattened his ears against his head. Finding an opening in the sweater he’d been wearing, he took a deep breath and wiggled free of the pile of clothes. 

  
  


*

Rey’s eyes widened in horror. Ben was  _ disappearing _ . 

Her mind rebelled at what she was seeing. Things like this just  _ did not happen _ and yet, Ben was suddenly gone. 

She looked frantically around the room as if he might just be hiding and then noticed that the clothing he had left behind was...moving?

_ What is going on??? _

Suddenly a cat—a very familiar cat—popped his head out of the sweater and started to wiggle himself free of it. 

Rey screamed and leapt away, shocked. 

“ _ Chubbs!? _ ” she cried, slipping in her haste. 

Ben-the-cat sat near the pillow watching her carefully, tail lashing, obviously upset, himself. 

He meowed imploringly.

Rey watched him, wild-eyed. “You...it’s been you this whole time?” 

She started to pace, chewing her lip. Suddenly, she whirled around to face him. 

“You...you let me believe…” she accused, glaring at him. 

Ben meowed desperately, trying to get his message across, but she growled in outrage and stormed out of the room. 

*

The last thing Ben heard from her was the slamming of her front door. 

_ Well, at least she wasn’t frightened. _

**Author's Note:**

> [Malleus Maleficarum, 1519](https://www.apmanuscripts.com/voynich/malleus-maleficarum-1519-hammer-of-witches).


End file.
